ACTIVISTS WITHOUT BORDERS FILM FESTIVAL AND AWARDS 2026

Sat 10 – Sun 11 October 2026 | Reading, UK

Where Films Inspire Change and Activism Knows No Boundaries

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POWERFUL FILMS
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PROVOKING DISCUSSIONS
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DAYS OF INSPIRATIONS
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MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS

FILM FESTIVAL

Activists Without Borders Film Festival is an annual event celebrating powerful documentaries and dramas that address critical issues such as human rights violations, the climate crisis, and social inequality.

The festival serves as a platform for impactful storytelling and social change, featuring curated film screenings, thought-provoking panel discussions, networking opportunities, and an awards ceremony honouring excellence in social filmmaking. It is also an inspiring space for audiences, filmmakers, activists, and changemakers to connect, share ideas, and be inspired.

Organised by Activists Without Borders, a UK based advocacy and campaigns group dedicated to protecting human and environmental rights, empowering people to take meaningful action, and addressing injustices worldwide through education and non-violent action.

The festival is supported by by the Impact Filmmakers Network, Activists Without Borders Academy, and Film Hub South East, in collaboration with the International Youth Council. With support of the BFI Film Audience Network, awarding funds from the National Lottery in order to bring this project to more audiences across the UK.

Festival Programme

Each programme brings together a selection of films, followed by a panel discussion or Q&A and an opportunity to connect and network. The festival award will be presented at the end of Programme 6.

The Thing | 2026 | USA

An ultra-short documentary highlighting a concern about the growth of artificial intelligence.

The Quest of Scoop and Monk | 2026 | UK

An experimental film on the climate crisis, told through the story of a melting ice cream and a monk.

The Couch | 2026 | India

A short drama about Kaveri’s plan to replace an old couch, drawing her into a choice that reaches far beyond her walls.

My Grandmother is a Skydiver | 2025| Germany

A short animated film, premiered at Cannes. A young woman in 2022 speaks with her grandmother in 1960s Central Asia, rethinking family memory, ethnic identity and the cycle of collective trauma.

Dedomestication | 2026 | Brazil

An experimental film. A Swiss cow and an Amazonian panther meet for a drag queen adventure full of questions about colonialism, climate change and LGBTQIA+ activism.

Crunch Point: Hunger and Hardship in Food Bank Britain | 2026 | UK

A short animated film. First-hand experiences reveal why people turn to food banks, the journeys that led them there and the stigma around accessing support.

Mum | 2026 | UK

A short drama. A homeless woman takes a feisty runaway under her wing and tries to reunite her with her family, whilst evading a drug dealer hellbent on revenge.

Terradread | 2025 | Germany

A short drama. A radical climate activist sacrifices motherhood to fight climate change, only to face the harrowing question: What’s left to save when the future no longer feels possible?

First Nations: Finding the Chickasaw | 2026 | UK

A short documentary. The discovery of pre-American War of Independence documents relating to the Chickasaw Nation uncovers a treasure trove of previously unseen material.

Light | 2026 | Spain

A short documentary. A community leader returns to the rainforest to confront those who brought fear, threat and death, searching for the lost peace she dreams of reclaiming for her children.

Genocide in the Wildflower State | 2024 | Australia

A documentary about a violent, state-run system of eugenics, racial absorption and social assimilation in Twentieth Century Western Australia.

1948 What We Knew | 2024 | UK

A short documentary. Three Jewish women, all born in 1948, revisit the stories they heard about Israel growing up, exploring contested Jewish identity and collective memory.

The Fire In Our Hearts | 2026 | Canada

An intimate documentary exploring Indigenous history, traditional fire knowledge and the resilience of communities on the frontlines of climate change.

The Comfort Dogs of Uganda | 2025 | Australia

Three survivors of war and three rescued dogs, each carrying deep scars of trauma and abandonment.
Together, they find trust, healing and a way to reclaim their lives.

Kim: The Long Way Home | 2025 | UK

A short documentary. Kim retraces her family’s escape from war-torn Vietnam to 1980s Britain, revealing how exile and hostility forged a lifelong mission to seek justice and champion compassion.

Lifeline: The War on UNRWA | 2026 | Palestine, USA

An investigation into UNRWA, the main UN agency responsible for Palestinian refugees, as it faces funding cuts and politically motivated attacks. From the executive producer of the Oscar-nominated The Voice of Hind Rajab.

FESTIVAL PASS FOR THE PROGRAMME 4

Journacide: The War on Truth | 2026 | Ireland

A documentary about journalists and medical workers targeted and killed while documenting the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon and Gaza, as Israel’s ‘Journacide’ continues unabated.

Not Ours To Carry | 2026 | UK

A documentary following three Tigrayan women who keep speaking into the silence surrounding sexual violence during the war in Tigray, confronting institutions built to ignore survivor testimony.

The strength of silence | 2025 | Ethiopia, Spain

A documentary about a 17-year-old survivor of war and sexual violence who finds strength through an ancestral ritual—the coffee ceremony—where women transform silence into resistance, solidarity and sisterhood.

All We Have | 2026 | Palestine, Canada

A short drama. Dalya and Salem’s dreams of starting a family are shattered when Salem is imprisoned indefinitely under military occupation, testing how love survives separation.

NŪR | 2025 | Congo, USA

A short drama. A young Congolese man is lured into joining the Islamic State, only to become trapped in a brutal jungle camp and forced to fight for survival.

Where are we going | 2026 | Austria

The film explores the humanitarian challenges at the European Union’s external border, highlighting the importance of humanitarian aid and solidarity.

More Punk Than Punk | 2025 | UK

A short documentary. Aki Nawaz navigates his identity as a Pakistani punk artist, exploring the personal and political frustrations behind his controversial post-9/11 album All Is War.

Activists Without Borders Film Festival 2026 Award Winners List

FESTIVAL REVIEWS

Activist Without Borders Festival is a thoughtful and well-organised platform that genuinely supports socially engaged and independent cinema. We were honoured to be part of a festival that values solidarity, critical perspectives, and activist storytelling.

Mücahit Emre Sever
TRT Arabi Documentaries

The festival was an inspiring reminder of how powerful documentary filmmaking can be. Every selection showed a strong commitment to storytelling, craft, and emotional truth. It was a pleasure to be part of a space that values our impact as storytellers!

Felipe Noriega
Filmmaker, Toronto

The AWBFF is a highly inspiring film festival, brilliantly championing cinematic work that drives social justice and confronts global inequality. The commitment to impactful storytelling and the organization’s excellent, supportive communication make it a powerful and necessary platform for change.

Yama Rauff
Activist, Finland

FESTIVAL VENUES

Reading Biscuit Factory

RBF is a multi-screen cinema with a variety of meeting spaces. The venue features 98, 58, and 56 seat cinemas, along with dedicated areas for events and catering.

Reading Biscuit Factory Cinema
Broad Street Mall
Reading, RG1 7QE
United Kingdom

Circle Cinema – The Pavilion

The Pavilion Reading is a conference hall with a cinema. The venue features a 300-seat cinema, along with dedicated areas for events and catering.

The Pavilion
143-145 Oxford Rd
Reading, RG1 7UY
United Kingdom